


Manners?

by Caellam



Series: FFXIV-Write September [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Tumblr: FFXIVwrite2020
Language: Deutsch
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:42:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26359648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caellam/pseuds/Caellam
Summary: Emet-Selch needs to teach the Crystal Exarch a small lesson.Prompt "Nonagenarian"
Series: FFXIV-Write September [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1907239
Kudos: 1
Collections: Final Fantasy Write Prompt Challenge 2020





	Manners?

The Ocular was mostly devoid of noise. Day or night did not have an impact on the pristine room inside the Crystal Tower either, as it was lit all the time by light sources of many means. The crystal Exarch found himself staring at the mirror in front of him once more, watching its endless depths, knowing that his friend, the Warrior of Light, was out there somewhere, on the source, helping out with problems that were urgent enough to divert his attention from the First.   
Yet he could not take a look, as much as he wanted to, as he had a peculiar guest in the tower today.  
Emet-Selch, the Ascian, wearing the body of the late emperor Solus, founding father of the Garlean empire, had placed himself near the entrance and only exit of the tower itself, sighing dramatically to break the silence.  
“Is this truly how you treat your elders these days? Not even offering them refreshments, a chair to sit on? Maybe even some idle chit-chat? No?”  
The Exarch sighed and turned around. He knew full well that the man was not joking, Ascians were ancient beings whose experienced lifespan stretched well over multiple millennia, truly making the man his elder and yet.  
“But, my good sir, I myself am quite the old man myself. So please do excuse me that I am not of your service on your every beck and call. For I did assume you would be the more experienced of the two of us and thus give me some pointers. As my own memory does not serve me too well either in my high age.”  
His response earned him a grin by Emet-Selch, who lifted his hand up into the air and snapped his fingers, producing a sound that echoed slightly in the closed, bright blue champers.  
As a response to his gesture, a table made of finest wood appeared in the middle of the room, accompanied by two chairs made out of the same fine material.  
The table was adorned by a beautifully made tablecloth, dyed in a harmonic, yet starkly contrasting blue and red hue. On top of the cloth manifested a round teapot and two most elegant tea cups, all made from the same ornately painted ceramics.  
“Now, dear Exarch, do you mind sharing a cup of tea with yours truly? It seems like this old man has to teach another old man some manners.”  
Without waiting for a response, the ancient creature strolled over to the table and put himself into the chair nearest to him, cocking his head and narrowing his eyes towards the Exarch, inviting him once more to come join him.  
The veiled exarch, wearing his hood and wielding the cane that he had made in collaboration with his friends from a ruined future, sighed and put the staff against the wall, near to the portal-mirror at the end of the chamber. He took a seat and looked down for a few seconds then stared up again.  
  


“Ohm but you cannot lead a conversation like this my good Exarch. If you truly want to talk to me you need to take off that horrible hood of yours, you hear? Otherwise I could barely look into your eyes to keep focused, you know?” Emet-Selch sighed with a most disappointed tone, pouring himself a cup of tea and sipping on his cup with pure joy.  
“Well, if you want me to bare my face, then so I would ask you to show your own, for I did hear that you are simply taking on the looks of the emperor Solus, is that not correct? Show me your own, true face and you shall see mine own. The same obviously goes for my name. Would you want to hear it, so I would hear your own true name and not that of the office you are currently occupying, yes?”  
The exarch himself also helped himself to a spot of tea, lounging back on the chair that was more comfortable than he liked to admit.  
Emet-Selch’s face contorted into a grimace as he took another sip of his tea.  
“Well, then,” he said, his tone shifted into a more displeased attitude, “I guess these basic formalities are off the table then. I do get an understanding that you have no plans of treating your elders with any kind of respect, thus I need to ask you another question before boredom overcomes the both of us once again. What do you see in that pesky Warrior of Light that you are trying to help? You are even more complete than he is from what my fine-tuned eyes can see in you. Why not do these things yourself? Claim the light of the wardens, free the land, all of this hassle?”  
He snapped, this time less dramatic and just with his hand outstretched and a cube of sugar landed in his teacup.  
The exarch scratched his chin in though, gesturing towards his own vessel, trying to signal that he too wanted an additional portion of sugar, but to no avail. His gesturing only earned him a mischievous grin of his opposite.  
“Could I get one of those sugar cubes too please? I do not like my tea quite this bitter to be frank. But, what I see in the Warrior of Light? Not only a potentially strong ally and friend but also his most potent blessing of light, that no one on Norvrandt can call their own as of now. Thus, getting him over here to take care of the sin eater problem was the best shot I had, and truly did it work out. What about you though, Emet-Selch? Why do you follow the Warrior so much, piqued your interest I might assume?”  
“Oh I sure am interested in him yes. In a few more ways than you could understand though. By the by how do you like the weather in these parts, now that the everlasting light is gone? I would assume the rain, the storms and the night itself must be so new to you!”  
The conversation managed to derail quite a bit, as the two men started talking about their favorite foodstuffs, what weather the two enjoyed most taking walks in, how much water is needed to make the perfect soothing tea that would lead to the deepest sleeps and even to who their favorite subject was, living under their care, be it past or present.  
A few hours later, they heard a knock on the door and the tall Viis, Lyna, entered the chamber.  
“Uhm, it is nothing of import, but the guards did manage to intercept some Kholusian troops. Would you like to ask them about their current situation or are you busy with your little tea-party here?”  
The Exarch stood up, crystalline arm used in order to get up from the table, as he opened his mouth, Emet-Selch started to exclaim in a self-important tone:  
“Do whatever you like with them my good lady, these two old men have far more important business to go over than the petty squabbling of some nations. And once your are done with that, please do bring us some cookies and other pastries to enjoy with our tea yes? We long for some more variety in our lives right now. Go on, get to it, chop-chop.”  
He clapped his hands in the air and an invisible force pushed Lyna out of the room once more, the door closing right before her eyes.  
“It’s fine, you can do this without me Lyna!”  
She could hear the Exarch’s voice from inside and shook her head.  
“These two barely look old at all, and I am only in my nineties, I wonder how much older they are, calling themselves old men, but surprises lurk everywhere I assume.” She talked to herself as she started taking those familiar crystalline steps, leading her out of the tower.


End file.
